Automated flow-wrapper raises efficiency

A fully automated flow-wrapping line is helping Tangerine Confectionery, one of the UK's leading sugar confectionery suppliers, to dramatically increase productivity and efficiency.

The new line, using two of Ilapak's Carrera 2000/40 electronic flow wrappers, is achieving speeds of 350 products a minute, wrapping Jamesons' Ruffle Bars around 55% faster than the company's previous flow-wrapper.

"The installation of the new Carrera packaging line is a significant step forward for us, bringing greater efficiency, increasing throughput while maintaining our high quality standards," says Tangerine's manufacturing and development manager Andrew Hamilton.

Fully automated, the new line comprises a high speed Carrera 2000/40 and six belt Indy automatic feeding system flow-wrapping individual Ruffle bars. A key feature is an alignment belt and quality control system, which uses laser sensors to check product size.

Other important features are the Carrera's no-product-no-bag and misplaced product detection features.